Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
Page 12 July 18, 2018 MCS Still in Business O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 What’s at Stake if Kavanaugh Joins the Court? Hard won rights are at risk o livia a lperstein President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Brett Kavana- ugh to replace former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Why should you care? Because everything from repro- ductive rights to voting, education, and health care is now at stake. Kavanaugh, a judicial ideo- logue committed to pulling the Court further to the right, may also reverse decades of key rulings that uphold the constitutional right to personal liberty and autonomy. All Americans say they value personal freedom, especially the right to make our own decisions about our private lives. Every day, we take that liberty for granted, from exercising our right to free speech to lighting up sparklers on the Fourth of July. Cherishing our liberties is as American as apple by pie — but our right to exercise those liberties could be undone. Nowhere is the issue more criti- cal than on reproductive rights. Kavanaugh’s nomination will mean a major battle to undo key protections in Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case that firmly estab- lished the right to access safe, legal abortion. Striking down Roe would im- mediately outlaw abortion in states where pre-Roe anti-abor- tion laws are technically still on the books. As many as 22 states could be impacted over the course of two years. That’s bad enough. But it’s also critical to remember the reasoning behind the historic 7-2 ruling: that people have a constitutional right to privacy. Specifically, the Supreme Court upheld and enshrined the protec- tions included in the First, Fourth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amend- ments, holding that those protec- tions applied to decisions a person might make about their own body. Ultimately, that decision in- formed several other critical rul- ings, including cases that forbade bans on same-sex romantic rela- tionships and affirmed the right to same-sex marriage. According to Roe, the right to make your own choices is one of the founding prin- ciples that govern this country. If Roe is overturned, that could set off a chain reaction that up- ends this critical foundation be- hind other landmark cases — both those that came before and those that came after. The constitutional right to pri- vacy informed Loving v. Virginia, which struck down criminaliza- tion of interracial marriage, and Griswold v. Connecticut, which enabled the legalization of contra- ceptives. The constitutional right to privacy also played a key role in Carpenter v. United States, a re- cent ruling that prohibits warrant- less collection of cellphone users’ data without reasonable cause. Judicial precedent set by the Supreme Court has built a sol- id foundation for interpretation of the law — but all it takes is a stacked court to have that founda- tion tumble like a house of cards. Supreme Court appointments are for life. The rulings these jus- tices make affect the entire judi- cial system for decades, if not cen- turies, to come. Each year, dozens of critical cases come before the court that deeply impact people’s rights and daily lives. While outgoing Justice Antho- ny Kennedy wasn’t perfect, he was committed to upholding the personal right to privacy as en- shrined in U.S. law. Kavanaugh, however, could roll back our hard- won freedoms — and those of fu- ture generations. The Senate will be voting soon on whether to confirm Kavana- ugh. A lot more than just a vacant bench hangs in the balance. Olivia Alperstein is the Deputy Director of Communications and Policy at Congressional Progres- sive Caucus Center. Distributed by OtherWords.org
